Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Monday, October 10, 2005

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Confucius said,

"The gentleman does not seek to satiate himself in eating, does not seek ease in living, is quick in his dealings and prudent in speech, and keeps to the correctness of those with the way. He can be considered as devoted to learning."

I think we must clear ourselves each one by the interrogation, whether we have earned our bread to-day by the hearty contribution of our energies to the common benefit? and we must not cease to tend to the correction of these flagrant wrongs, by laying one stone aright every day.

"Each day I examine myself on three counts: whether or not I am loyal to those in whose behalf I act; whether or not I am trustworthy in my dealings with friends; whether or not I practise what is imparted."

Monday, September 05, 2005

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it! Begin it now!”

Friday, September 02, 2005

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Give all to love;Obey thy heart;Friends, kindred, days,Estate, good fame,Plans, credit, and the muse;Nothing refuse.

'Tis a brave master,Let it have scope,Follow it utterly,Hope beyond hope;High and more high,It dives into noon,With wing unspent,Untold intent;But 'tis a god,Knows its own path,And the outlets of the sky.'Tis not for the mean,It requireth courage stout,Souls above doubt,Valor unbending;Such 'twill reward,They shall returnMore than they were,And ever ascending.

Leave all for love;—Yet, hear me, yet,One word more thy heart behoved,One pulse more of firm endeavor,Keep thee to-day,To-morrow, for ever,Free as an ArabOf thy beloved.Cling with life to the maid;But when the surprise,Vague shadow of surmise,Flits across her bosom youngOf a joy apart from thee,Free be she, fancy-free,Do not thou detain a hem,Nor the palest rose she flungFrom her summer diadem.

Though thou loved her as thyself,As a self of purer clay,Tho' her parting dims the day,Stealing grace from all alive,Heartily know,When half-gods go,The gods arrive.

If I when my wife is sleeping and the baby and Kathleen are sleeping and the sun is a flame-white disc in silken mists above shining trees,-- if I in my north room dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself: "I am lonely, lonely. I was born to be lonely, I am best so!" If I admire my arms, my face, my shoulders, flanks, buttocks against the yellow drawn shades,--